King's Furlong Infant School and Nursery

Inspection of King’s Furlong Infant School and Nursery Upper Chestnut Drive, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 8YJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 12–13 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can learn in peace because staff consistently reward good behaviour and quickly deal with any disruption.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At breaktimes pupils enjoy a wide range of games and activities. They play well together and know that adults are always on hand should they need them. Incidents of bullying are rare, but staff are skilled at sorting it out if it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. They learn how to stay safe online and not to speak to strangers. Pupils know they have a trusted adult to talk to if they are worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want the best for everyone and are increasingly skilled at encouraging pupils to be ‘knowledge seekers’ and to ‘go the extra mile’ in class. Pupils develop a positive work ethic and enjoy learning and discussing their ideas. Some older pupils still struggle with their reading and mathematics because teaching was not planned well enough in the past.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An exciting range of clubs is available. Many pupils take part. This helps them to learn new skills in cooking, art and sports.

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better?

Leaders know that development of pupils’ early reading skills has been weak in the past. Over the last year, staff have revamped the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) to ensure that pupils learn sounds and develop their reading skills in a logical order. Staff check pupils’ understanding and teach them how to tackle words they do not know. Pupils take reading books home and enjoy reading with adults. These books have not, however, been matched to the sounds pupils have learned in class. This means that pupils miss the opportunity to practise their skills. Not enough has been done to help those pupils who fell behind in their reading in the past to catch up. Too often, they end up guessing words, which leaves them unprepared for junior school.

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better?

In mathematics, many pupils learn the basics quickly. This helps them to count and calculate with confidence. However, some pupils do not remember the most important facts because they do not practise using them enough. When this happens, they become confused and unable to complete more challenging tasks. Pupils who fall behind are not catching up quickly enough. This is because they have gaps in their learning that have not been addressed.

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better?

Other subjects are well planned. Staff carefully decide what they want pupils to learn and remember. Learning is organised to help pupils to understand and remember key ideas and facts. Carefully selected trips and visits complement what is taught and help pupils to deepen their knowledge. For example, pupils visited 12–13 September 2019

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Windsor Castle, which enhanced their understanding of the monarchy and how laws and government have changed over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively. Staff make sure that SEND pupils enjoy and participate fully in the wider curriculum. They adapt the teaching, tasks and planning for these pupils appropriately, helping them to achieve their goals. Some of these pupils can become distressed and staff handle this skilfully. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The early years provides children with a great start to their education. During the inspection, children had only been in school a matter of days. Despite this, they were calm, confident and settled. The early years curriculum is well organised. Staff work closely with teachers in key stage 1 to identify the knowledge children require to be successful in Year 1. They use this to plan and deliver a curriculum that helps children to acquire and remember the skills they need to do well.

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Pupils’ personal development is carefully nurtured. Skilled staff help pupils to talk about their feelings and to consider those of others. This means that squabbles and disagreements are quickly sorted out before they get too big. In class, pupils work with purpose and enthusiasm. They listen carefully to teachers and do their best to finish their tasks. This helps pupils to get the most out of their time in lessons. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate difference. For example, Reception children looked at baby photos and discussed how we are all important regardless of race or religion. Pupils told inspectors that everyone is welcome in this school. Their tolerant views stand them in good stead for life in Britain today.

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Leadership has improved since the headteacher joined the school. Leaders and governors have ensured that staff receive high-quality training. Staff are now more confident in selecting and using a wider range of teaching techniques to meet the needs of their pupils. They have better subject knowledge in mathematics and phonics which helps them to select and build pupils’ learning more effectively. Much of this work is in its early stages and the impact on pupils’ achievement is yet to be seen.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff throughout the school are well trained to keep pupils safe. They know what to do if they have concerns. Staff work closely with families when they need support. This can involve support from the school or from an outside agency. Governors have also received additional training. They ensure that staff follow the agreed procedures and that all new staff are checked properly.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers have increased their understanding of phonics and now teach this in a way that helps pupils to learn their sounds in a logical order. Teachers select 12–13 September 2019

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appropriate activities so that pupils can apply their learning. However, reading books do not match the sounds that pupils learn in class. Teachers need to ensure that books are precisely matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge so that they can practise what they have learned when they read with adults at home and at school.  Pupils who have fallen behind in reading are unable to work out words using their phonics skills. Too often, they rely on pictures or guesswork when reading aloud. These pupils require extra support to catch up.  In mathematics, some pupils forget key concepts, such as place value, because they have too few opportunities to use what they have already learned. This prevents them from calculating and problem-solving as well as they should. Staff need to ensure that pupils revisit key knowledge so that they remember and recall it efficiently.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 12–13 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111221 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.kingsfurlong-inf.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 March 2016

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection a number of staff, including the headteacher, have left the school. The current headteacher started her post in April 2018.  The school has provision for two-year-olds in its Nursery.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders and three governors, including the chair. Inspectors met with an officer from the local authority.  On day one, inspectors considered the quality of education by looking at reading, mathematics, writing, history and science. To do this, inspectors conducted interviews with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors considered a wider range of subjects on day two.  Inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records, interviewing staff and through discussions with pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of staff, pupils and parents shared through the 12–13 September 2019

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Inspection team

Daniel Lambert, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Brian Macdonald Ofsted Inspector 12–13 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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